B&O BeoPlay H9 brings sexy to wireless over-ear headphones

Audio manufacturers have been releasing wireless earphones and headphones in recent weeks. Whether it’s taking the cue from Apple’s “jack-less” iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus or suddenly realising that it is better without wires, we certainly welcome the options of wireless audio cans. The latest and probably one of the last wireless headphone models to be release before the year is up is from Danish company Bang & Olufsen. Called Beoplay H9, these over-ear headphones are a minimalist’s dream come true.

Design-wise, the Beoplay H9 is almost similar to its predecessors over-ear headphones, the Beoplay H6 and H7. The headband is a lightweight aluminium frame covered with stitched cowhide leather, while the ear cushion comes with adaptive memory foam enclosed with lambskin.

The big difference here is certainly the noise cancelling function. The hybrid Active Noise Cancellation technology consists of multiple microphones placed on the outside and inside of the ear cushion to produce a reverse signal, cancelling out noise. The result is a well-rounded clean sound. We love the H9’s more powerful and bassy sound compared to previous B&O headphones that sounded more “polite”.
But if you prefer a less bombastic sound, you can tune the sound with the Beoplay App for for Android, iPhone and Apple Watch.

The Beoplay App also allows you to monitor the battery strength of the headphones, which in the case of the Beoplay H9, can last up to 14 hours with noise cancelling activated. A full-charge with the Lithium-Ion battery takes 3 hours.

BlackArgilla Grey

The H9 features a touch interface on the right ear cup that allows you to activate the noise cancelling function, switch songs, answer calls and control the volume on the sleek anodized aluminium surface. The interface is said to work in all weather conditions, even with gloves on. Although it’s not that we can’t put on some gloves and try out whether the interface works, we prefer to fly to some winter wonderland to test out the climate with hooded hands.

The wireless over-ear headphone BeoPlay H9 with Active Noise Cancellation is available in two colours, Black and Argilla Grey and is going for a pricey S$699. For that price, we would have prefer the battery section of the headphones to be finished with anodised aluminum as well to complete the premium look. You can try them out at Bang & Olufsen Grand Hyatt and Takashimaya Showroom from 30 December 2016.

Friends of Ivan call him an over-achiever. He is an avid traveller, tech geek and a foodie. Always on the lookout for travel destinations, experiences, gadgets and new dishes to surprise his taste buds, Ivan is also an avid photographer, vocalist and guitar player wannabe.